


Seventy Dollars

by filipaalexa



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Growing Up Together, M/M, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-09-01 05:03:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8609833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/filipaalexa/pseuds/filipaalexa
Summary: He was wearing a green jacket ten sizes too big when they met, he was almost as scrawny as Steve was back then.





	

**Author's Note:**

> the timeline of this thing is all over the place but i'm sure you can keep up, it's not really that hard.   
> comments are always welcomed.  
> thank you for taking the time to read this!

He was wearing a green jacket ten sizes too big when they met, he was almost as scrawny as Steve was back then. Not bright green and not dark green, but that green typical of army issued clothes. Steve asked him about it, he answered it was his father's jacket.

They were playing soccer in the street with five other boys and three girls from the neighborhood, Bucky had just moved to the vacant apartment on the building across the street from Steve's and his mother had encouraged him to join the other kids and make friends before school started in a few days. Steve learned Bucky would have joined them even if his mother hadn't said anything, his cheeky grin and boisterous way told Steve so.

Bucky called him Stevie and told him jokes while everyone else danced around him trying to get his attention. His eyes were only on Steve.

Bucky was his best friend now but Steve didn't tell him that until Bucky spoke about it first.

*

Steve's mother asked what he wanted to do for his eighth birthday, Steve said he wanted a party with cake and games for all his friends. His mother said she would start planning then, a smile on her lips.

The party never happened though, Steve got sick and had to spend his birthday in the hospital. The nurses sang him happy birthday and his parents brought him his presents. His father gave him a new sketchbook, his mother gave him a new colored pencil box.

There was no cake and no games and Steve's friends couldn't visit him. Steve felt sad but mostly he felt lonely.

"Honey, guess who is here," His mother said holding the door close to her chest to keep Steve from seeing out on to the hall.

Steve didn't answer with his words, he merely offered her a shrug.

She rolled her eyes and released the door and Steve locked eyes with Bucky.

"Bucky!"

"Stevie!"

Bucky's face breaks in to a grin as he rushes in to the room and jumps on the bed, throwing his arms around Steve and locking him in a tight hug that leaves Steve almost out of breath.

"What are you doing here?"

Bucky pulls away with a frown on his face, to him the question didn't make sense.

"You're my best friend, Stevie, and it's your birthday. Why wouldn't I be here?" Bucky pauses to bite his lip. "I don't have a present though."

Steve shakes his head furiously as he seats up straighter. "What do you mean? You're here, that's my present."

Bucky grins again, a light blush on his cheeks.

Steve doesn't feel lonely anymore, he feels all warm and fuzzy and it's all because of Bucky Barnes' smile.

*

They were twelve when Bucky told him he kissed Peter Brayden. There were tears in his eyes and his lip was quivering, he was afraid of what Steve would think.

Steve didn't know what to do. He wasn't really surprised by the fact that his best friend had kissed another boy, he was surprised that his best friend thought Steve would think of him differently.

So Steve just pouts and throws his arms around Bucky's neck in a hug, burying his face in the hair Bucky had been so keen on growing.

"Well, I don't know what you expect me to say but I will say that Peter better not break your heart."

Bucky sobs, his hands squeezing Steve's shirt tightly. "You don't care that I...that I like boys the way I should like girls?"

"No. You're my best friend and I'm with you 'till the end of the line. No matter what happens."

"I love you, Stevie. My mom says we shouldn't say it unless we really mean it, I mean it now."

"Me too, Buck."

*

"Have you seen my-" Steve clears his throat interrupting him, when Bucky looks up from looking in his bag Steve shows him the book with a raised brow. "There it is. What would I do without you, sweetheart?"

"Die in a ditch somewhere, probably."

"Gross." Comes Jim's voice.

"Completely disgusting." Comes Gabe's soft tone from behind his can of coke.

"And unnecessary," Says Peggy with a roll of her eyes not even looking up from her book.

"You are just jealous of our love."

"Oh, yes. We are so jealous," Dernier chimes in looking up from his phone. Then he looks back down, his lip tucked between his teeth, and resumes the email he was writing to his father back in France.

Bucky pouts looking back at Steve. "Where's DumDum? He always supports us."

Steve rolls his eyes as he stands up, chucking his bag over his shoulder. "You know he and Falsworth have that debate thing today. Don't be a baby."

"No, that's your job, to be my baby," Bucky says reaching up to caress Steve's hair.

"Ew." It's a chorus of voices, fond and almost with a hint of smiles.

Steve shrugs him off with a small smile. "I gotta go, doctor's appointment."

"Text me when you're out." It's not a question or a request, it's an order and Steve is used to it by now. Bucky worries, he always has and he always will. He worries even more now after Steve's last stay at the hospital and the proposal of new medications and treatments.

"I will, don't worry."

"You'll text the group chat and like it. He's not the only one that worries, Steven," Peggy says softly.

Everyone else looks up then and they offer Steve genuine smiles.

"I know. Thank you. I'll talk to you guys later."

"Bye, Stevie."

Steve pulls at Bucky's hair softly as a way of saying goodbye and offers everyone else a mock salute before taking off.

*

"This is bullshit," Bucky complains throwing himself on to Steve's bed. "Well, it's not really bullshit but you know what I mean. I hate."

Steve snorts. "You hate? What do you hate?"

"I hate."

"You're being an idiot. You realize what you accomplished with this? You got in to MIT. Fucking MIT, Buck!"

"I know what I did. I read the fucking letter, Stevie, twice. Becca had to stop me from calling there because it had to be a mistake. It's just..."

"Scoot," He asks in a low voice. It's like he's going through puberty again, his body doesn't feel his own and there are weird things happening because of the treatments and the drugs. But he feels much better. The only problem is that he is still getting used to it, if these were times long ago Bucky wouldn't have to scoot to make room, now he does. He lays down next to his best friend, shoulders touching and fingers gently rubbing together. "What is it?"

"How am I supposed to fuck off to Massachusetts and be away from you and Peggy and the guys? Away from my family?"

Steve shifts his head to look at Bucky properly thinking he is joking. He's not, Steve sees it in his eyes. Steve's heart feels warm. He should've known that Bucky Barnes, the boy who loved with his all heart and would do anything to make sure his people were okay, would be afraid to be on his own for the very first time.

"You're not going far...Peggy and Falsworth are literally going to London."

"Peggy and Falsworth are going back to the motherland, it doesn't count."

"Yes, it does. And at least you know you got in..."

Bucky turns on his side, leaning on his elbow with a frown on his face. "This shit again? Steve, we've gone through this. Just because they haven't sent any type of reply yet doesn't mean you didn't get in."

"I'm about to die from anticipation, they should've sent something by now."

Bucky sighs softly as he reaches out with his free hand, running it through Steve's hair. "Don't worry, baby. If you don't get in I'll smuggle you in to MIT with me."

Steve snorts out a laugh and gently elbows Bucky in the stomach. "Not helping."

"Made you laugh though."

Steve laughs then, real and loud and throwing his head back, taking comfort in the sound of Bucky laughing along with him.

*

"Steve has something to tell you guys. You need to pay attention. That means you, DumDum, stop eating!" Bucky exclaims throwing a rolled up napkin at DumDum's head, when his friend looks up he throws an arm around Steve and starts biting his lip to keep the smile from spreading. "Go on, Stevie."

Steve looks at his hands for a few moments before reaching in to his jacket pocket and pulling out an envelope. He fidgets for a little while, looking at Bucky for encouragement. When Bucky offers him a smile and a nod he looks at his other friends and simply says: "I got in New York."

Peggy nearly climbs over the table and over Jim's lap to hug him, screaming and cursing in his ear that she always knew he would get in. When she pulls away everyone else is enveloping him in hugs and offering him words of encouragement and congratulations.

He locks eyes with Bucky over Dernier's shoulder, Bucky is smiling but it doesn't reach his eyes. It's not genuine, not truly happy. It's the way he smiles when he doesn't agree with something or when he's sad.

He denies any type of sadness when Steve asks him about it later, Steve doesn't push because he knows how stubborn Bucky can be.

It bothers him for days on end.

*

Bucky leaves a few days before classes start.

Peggy and Falsworth had been gone for weeks. Dernier gone for almost a month. Jim and Gabe and DumDum had all left a few days ago. Bucky was the last one of his friends that Steve had to say goodbye too. Bucky was the one that hurt the most to let go off.

Bucky's parents and sister had said their goodbyes already, now standing on the stairs of their building watching them say goodbye as the taxi waited.

"Don't go and make trouble all the way up in Massachusetts."

"Don't miss me too much."

"Please, if anything I'm gonna be so much happier."

"You're a punk."

"Jerk."

They hug then, tight and close, trying to memorize each other's smell and warmth. Steve's hands are squeezing the back of Bucky's army jacket, he finally grew in to it, desperately clinging to his best friend. He's shaking with the sob that wants to leave his chest, the silent tears that escape his eyes land on Bucky's neck and it startles the other. It makes Bucky squeeze tighter.

"Aw, come on, Stevie. I'm supposed to be one that's scared of leaving. Don't you start because you're gonna get me going and this will be awkward for everyone."

Steve laughs then, rubbing his cheek against Bucky's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," He says softly, kissing him on the side of the head. "I love you, sweetheart."

"Me too."

Bucky sighs squeezing even tighter.

Steve doesn't want to let him go. What is he supposed to do without his best friend? To be honest Steve is terrified of being alone too, Bucky always made things so much better.

The taxi honks and they startle apart. Bucky throws him one last grin before getting in to the taxi and leaving for good.

*

He meets Sharon in one of his classes in the first semester of second year when she sits next to him.

She smells, weirdly enough, of chocolate and that’s what makes him shift to look at her. He startles when he sees that it’s not really her that smells of chocolate, it’s the gigantic bar of Hershey Chocolate that she’s biting in to that’s giving off the smell. Sharon turns to look at him when she feels his eyes on her.

“Don’t judge me.”

Steve shakes his head furiously. “I wasn’t. It’s just that…That’s weird.”

Sharon snorts. “Trust me, I have seen weirder things in the two months that I have been back. A girl from the dorm across from me literally walked to class in a reindeer onesie.”

“Wow. We’re not even close to Christmas.”

“I know, right? Offensive,” She pauses to look at the Hershey bar, then she shoves it in his direction. “Want some?”

“No, I’m good. Thank you.”

She shrugs taking another bite. “I’m Sharon.”

“Steve.”

He and Sharon end up bonding over their favorite painters. She’s fun and flirty and bubbly, she reminds Steve of Bucky in a way what gives him a sort of comfort. He tells her so and Sharon asks if Bucky is his boyfriend. Steve says no, that he is just his best friend.

“Oh! I’m sorry. Is just that you talk about him with such fondness and that smile on your face? I just assumed. It was stupid of me, I shouldn’t assume things.”

“It’s fine. We get that a lot. We’ve just known each other since we were kids so…”

Sharon smiles. “That’s sweet.”

Steve smiles back but the thought of Bucky being his boyfriend leaves his stomach in knots. It never did before and Steve wonders if it was because it always came from people he knew. He had never met Sharon before and within ten seconds of him speaking about Bucky she had asked if they were together. It left his stomach in knots not because he had never considered dating Bucky, it left it in knots because he was reminded of the times he had thought about it. But Bucky was his best friend, the best friend he had, nothing more.

Bucky facetimes him later when he’s walking home from the subway, it’s late and chilly but the streets are still busy.

“Why is your face so close to the camera?” He asks with a raised brow as he puts his earphones in.

“Something happened.”

“Oh, God. What have you done? Are you in the hospital? Please tell me you didn’t try to surf down the stairs of your dorm again,” He groans stopping right in the middle of the sidewalk, people grumble past him and curse at him for making them be late for one mere second. He doesn’t care, right now he’s going through flight options to Massachusetts so he can kick Bucky Barnes up and down the streets.

“You have such little faith in me, sweetheart. My feelings are hurt,” Bucky says moving his camera closer to his mouth, showing Steve his pout.

“Fuck your feelings. What happened?”

“Ask me nicely or I will hang up right now and go tell Peggy, she’ll be nicer than you.”

“Peggy will reach through the phone and smack you in the mouth.”

“Damn, true. I’ll call DumDum then, or Dernier. They’ll for sure be nicer.”

Steve rolls his eyes as he resumes his walk. “Fine. Can you, please, tell me what happened? Just tell me if you’re okay or not, don’t make me worry.”

Bucky pulls his camera away so his whole face is in view, a soft smile marring his features. “You’re a fucking mother hen, you know that? How am I supposed to tease you when you remind me how much of a bastard I am for even attempting it?”

Steve fake gasps. “Well, excuse me for worrying about my best friend. Please, feel free to jump in to traffic and see if I care now.”

“Wow. Stevie, that was harsh.”

“Will you just tell me what happened?”

Bucky groans finally moving the camera as far out as he can. “I moved out of the dorm!”

It makes Steve stop in the middle of sidewalk again and stare in shock at the wall behind Bucky. “What?”

“Found an ad on Craigslist, seemed like a good deal and I desperately needed out of that dorm. I’m never gonna be able to stare at orange the same way.”

Steve shivers. “That wall was horrifying. Where are you? Are you living alone?”

Bucky snorts like Steve’s question is the stupidest thing he has ever heard. “Please. I’m up to my neck in student loans and you think I would be able to afford an apartment on my own? I got a roommate.”

Steve raises his eyebrows in surprise. “Oh. And did you warn this roommate about your predicament with cooking and doing laundry?”

“I’m gonna hang up on your ass, Rogers.”

“You’re all talk.”

He gives Bucky a few seconds, daring him to really end the call right then and there. Like he expected Bucky doesn’t end the call, he huffs and rolls his eyes. “You’re lucky I like you.”

Steve hums, he knows how lucky he is. “So, a roommate?”

Bucky nods running his free hand through his hair. “Natasha’s boyfriend, Clint.”

Steve hums again resuming his walk. Steve likes Natasha, he has spoken to her a couple of times while on facetime or Skype with Bucky since she is his best friend in Massachusetts and they spend most of their time together. She’s smart and calm, a good counterpart to Bucky’s boisterous attitude. “I didn’t know she had a boyfriend.”

“He’s nice, you’d like him. He has big dreams, kinda like you.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “I’m not gonna have this conversation with you again, I’m not nearly drunk enough.”

“You don’t even drink.”

“Exactly.”

“You’re no fun, baby.” He stops and turns to the side like he’s listening for something. Steve hears it too, it’s the sound of a door opening. “Clint’s here with dinner, I gotta go. I’ll introduce you to him and show you around the place when we have everything in place.”

“That’s gonna take a while knowing you.”

“I literally hate you.”

Steve laughs and then Bucky is laughing along with him, loud and happy and so close it’s like he’s right here with Steve. But he’s not and the thought of it makes Steve stop laughing abruptly.

“Hey. Sweetheart,” Bucky calls out and it makes Steve shake involuntarily. The nickname always made him feel things he shouldn’t feel, now even more since he hasn’t heard it in person for so long. “You with me? Where did you go?”

“Sorry, zoned out for a bit.”

“You been feeling good? Everything okay?”

Steve smiles softly. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“You know that doesn’t work with me, Stevie, I always worry.”

It makes Steve’s smile widen and he swears to himself that the blush on his cheeks is from the cold. Then he hears it, a voice that doesn’t belong to Bucky screaming: “Are you talking to your boyfriend again?!”

“Fuck off, Barton!” Bucky snaps looking somewhere off-camera. “Sorry,” He says looking back, light red tinging his cheeks. “Nat’s put it in his head that you’re my boyfriend and he won’t let go of the idea no matter how many times I say you’re not.”

Steve shakes his head looking at the floor, his stomach is in knots again. “It’s fine. Hey, I gotta go. Talk to you later?”

“Yeah. Take care, Stevie.”

“You too. Say hi to Natasha for me.”

“I will. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Steve hangs up and shoves his phone back in his pocket without even taking out the earphones. All he wants is for today to end.

*

Surely enough Peggy calls him on Skype the next day around lunch time. He usually goes to the gym around this time but today he wasn’t really feeling it so he called Sam, his gym buddy, and asked if they could meet for coffee instead and just hang out. Sam was currently in the bathroom and Steve didn’t have an excuse to blow Peggy off and say he’d call her later.

With a sigh he puts his earphones in and answers the call. “Hi, Peggy.”

“Don’t ‘hi’ me, Steven. Explain to me why I woke up to about eight messages from our dear friend Bucky Barnes saying I need to figure out what’s wrong with you. And know that my anger is showing on my face, shame you cannot see it.”

“You still haven’t fixed your laptop camera?” He asks trying to buy some time.

“Not the point right now. Come on, out with it. What’s wrong?”

He sighs and looks around looking for Sam, wishing he would just come out of the bathroom so he could end the call. Sam is nowhere in sight.

“Look, there’s nothing wrong. Bucky is throwing this entire thing out of proportion, you know how he is. He just caught me in an off day.”

“Why was it an off day?”

“Peggy…” He groans, he doesn’t want to have this conversation with her.

“Steven. Talk to me. I worry too. Are you sick? Did something happen?” She sounds really worried and it makes Steve feel horrible, but it mostly makes him want to punch Bucky in the face for dragging her in to this.

“Do I make Bucky sound like he’s my boyfriend when I talk about him?” There’s silence for a long time, he even checks a couple of times to make sure the call didn’t drop. “Peggy? You there?”

“I’m here, sorry. I was just trying to interiorize what you asked me.” She sighs. “Do you want my honesty?”

“I wouldn’t ask for less coming from you.”

Peggy sighs again before answering: “In all honesty…Yes. Sometimes when you speak about him you make it sound like he’s your boyfriend, but he does it too! And there’s nothing wrong with that, you have known each other since you were children. It’s a very strong bond and it’s normal that sometimes the lines get blurred. But this never bothered you before, Steve. Why now?”

“I don’t know. On that day I met this really nice classmate and I told her she reminded me of Bucky and she asked if he and I were together. Then he facetimed me later and his new roommate called me his boyfriend.”

“Is it perhaps that you miss him so much that you are confused about your true feelings towards him?”

“I’m not sure this is confusion…”

“Oh, Steve-”

He cuts her off before she can continue, he spots Sam out of the corner of his eye. “Hey, my friend is here. I’m gonna call you later, okay?”

“Yeah, okay. What do I tell him when he asks if I spoke to you?”

Sam sits back in his seat and offers Steve a questioning look, Steve just raises his hand in a manner of asking him to wait. “Tease him about being a mother hen, he’ll drop it. I gotta go, say hi to Falsworth.”

“Bye.”

He hangs up and throws his phone on the table, then he looks up at Sam with a smile. “Sorry. A friend from high school who is studying in London called me.”

Sam shakes his head. “It’s all good. Now, tell me more about this classmate of yours. Sharon was it?”

Steve smiles.

Later that night when he’s already in the comfort of his own house he calls Peggy again, he questions her about still being up so late and she simply answers with a ‘studying’ before getting right back in to it. They talk for what seems to be hours and in the end Steve is left with two options.

One, he is really just confused from missing his best friend too much. Like Peggy said, the lines can get blurred especially if you take in to account how close and loving they are towards each other.

Two, Steve is in love with his best friend.

He’s not a big fan of option two and he fears that’s the right option.

*

Bucky’s birthday is on a Saturday.

Steve calls him in the morning after he gets back from his jog, still in his sweaty clothes and leaning against his kitchen counter.

The first thing he hears after the call is connected is a very deep groan and then the camera turns on and Steve is face with a very hangover Bucky.

“Wow. Had fun last night, hun?”

Bucky groans again, not moving an inch to push his hair from his face or to change positions. “Literally fuck you. Clint and Nat took me out and got me wasted, I don’t remember half of the night.” He pauses to blow a hair string out of his mouth. “You wanna know the sad part?”

“Tell me.”

“We all slept in the same bed last night.” With that he raises his phone and Steve sees the red of Natasha’s hair splayed on the pillow next to Bucky’s and then her eyes already open and focused on her phone, Clint with his head nestled against her chest still asleep. “Say hi to Steve.”

Clint doesn’t budge but Natasha turns to the phone and waves. “Hey, Steve.”

“Hi, Nat. What happened?” He asks with laughter in his voice.

She drops her phone and takes Bucky’s phone from his hands so she can answer Steve properly. “We took birthday boy Jimmy for a night out to celebrate, like the good friends that we are. Got him properly wasted and then when it was time to get him to bed he said he wanted to cuddle because it was his birthday and he deserved cuddles. We were quite drunk ourselves so we took that as an invitation to just fall in bed with him and stay the night.”

Steve laughs covering his mouth with his hand. “Oh, my God. That is amazing. I am never gonna let him live it down.”

“Please, don’t. We won’t either.”

He nods. “Can you give the phone back to him?”

“Sure. Bye, Steve.”

“Bye, Nat.”

She hands Bucky the phone but before Steve can speak Bucky shushes him and starts standing up. Slowly he drags himself out of the room, on to the hallway and on to the couch where he falls with a loud thomp sound. There’s silence for a little while longer where Steve just listens to Bucky breathe and watches him try to compose himself enough to hold a proper conversation.

“I can call you later.”

Bucky shushes him again running a hand through his hair. “I’m fine, it’s fine.” He sits up and forces a smile. “Hi, Stevie.”

Steve snorts. “Hi. Jesus, you look like shit. I can smell your breath through the phone.”

“Thanks a lot, sweetheart.”

“You’re welcome. Happy birthday, Buck.”

The smile on Bucky’s face is genuine this time, open and happy and his eyes are glowing. “Thanks. I wish you were here, Stevie, we should be together on our birthdays like we always have been.”

Steve sighs. “It hasn’t been like that since college started…It still feels weird.”

“I know…We’ll make up for it later?”

“Of course. I sent you your gift.”

Bucky’s eyes widen. “Oh! Yeah! I got it yesterday! I haven’t opened it yet though.”

“Ungrateful.”

Bucky shushes him. “I was waiting to open it when you called me. Hang on, I’m gonna get it.”

He puts the phone on the coffee table and for a few moments Steve only sees the white ceiling of Bucky and Clint’s living room, only hears far away shuffling. Then Bucky is back and picks up the phone, the cardboard box in his lap already open. Steve watches as he digs through it and the first thing he pulls out is the card. He reads it with a fond smile and then sets it aside to resume his search inside the box. Steve watches in expectation, and in fear, as Bucky’s eyes widen when he touches the picture frame. It’s light blue with rockets and starts adorning it, it’s a kid’s picture frame and the picture it holds behind its glass is one that he’s sure Bucky had never seen.

“Stevie…”

“I didn’t really had time to get you something you’d find useful and then my mom said she’d found a bunch of pictures from when we were kids and there was that one and I…I made you a copy because I figured you’d like it.”

When Bucky looks at the camera his eyes are full of tears. “This isn’t fair. I’m still kinda drunk, I’m gonna cry.”

“Don’t you start because you’re gonna get me going and it’s gonna-”

“-be awkward for everyone,” He finishes for Steve, his eyes back on the photo of the two of them wrapped in blankets in Steve’s living room with their heads buried in a book about space travelling, completely unaware of the camera. “Fuck, baby, it’s not fair. You should be with me right now.”

Steve bites his lip. “I wish I was…”

“Thank you for this. I love it. I love you.”

“Me too, Buck.”

Bucky stops then and seems to finally offer Steve a proper look, then he raises his eyebrow. “Why are you all sweaty?”

“I went jogging.”

“Oh. Is that what we’re calling it these days?”

Steve rolls his eyes. “And I’m hanging up now. Bye, birthday boy.”

“Bye, Stevie. Have a good day.”

“You too.”

Steve places his phone on the counter and takes a deep breath, running his hand through his sweaty hair. There was weight lifted off of his chest but there were still about twenty other weights incapacitating his breathing and they all related to Bucky Barnes in some way.

Shit.

Option two was becoming more real as they days went on.

*

He wakes up to the pounding on his door and at first he covers his head with his other pillow, praying for whoever it is to just go away. But they don’t and the pounding only seems to grow louder so Steve gets up with a groan.

“I’m coming!”

He treads out on to the hallway rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, cursing when his hip collides with the small table he has on the way to the door where he usually leaves his keys. He rips the door open, ready to start screaming at the person who dared to wake him up on the Saturday right after exam season but the words die in his tongue when he sees who’s on the hallway.

There are no words exchanged as they collide in to a hug, Bucky’s arms around his neck and Steve’s arms around his waist, squeezing tight. Bucky is laughing and kissing everywhere he can reach, Steve’s shoulder, his cheek, his neck, his ear. Steve was only focusing on keeping his eyes closed, afraid of opening them and realize this was a dream and have Bucky fade away.

Bucky pulls away first, grin on his lips like he’s mocking Steve’s dumbfounded expression, then he reaches up and cradles Steve’s face in his hands. He leans to press a kiss against his forehead. “Hi, baby.”

“What…I…”

“Use your words, Stevie,” Bucky says with a chuckle pulling away and making his way in to Steve’s house, dropping his backpack on the floor next to the couch.

Steve frowns pushing the door closer. He turns to look at his friend and then he just punches him in the arm. “You jerk! You didn’t tell me you were coming!”

Bucky grabs his arm in place and takes a step back. “First of all, ow! Second of all, I wanted to surprise you. I haven’t seen you so long that I wanted to make sure you weren’t dead under a pile of books or something.”

“I told you it was exam season and I was busy and I…You’re the mother hen, not me.”

Bucky shrugs. “What? You gonna tell me you aren’t happy to see me?”

Steve rolls his eyes and envelops Bucky in another hug. “I hate you.”

Bucky hugs back, one hand cradling the back of Steve’s head, the other resting in between his shoulder blades. “Liar.”

He considers staying home with Bucky the whole weekend but he doesn’t really have an excuse to blow off Sam and Sharon, plus Bucky really wants to meet them and hey, if Bucky is there Steve is not going to be the third wheel.

Lunch goes fairly well. Bucky gets along with Sharon the most, Steve was ready for that, but Bucky likes Sam plenty too. Steve doesn’t say much throughout lunch, he keeps himself focused on watching his friends interact.

Sam is laughing as he watches his girlfriend and Bucky exchange jabs and jokes, his head thrown back in happiness. Sharon is red in the face from laughing so hard, one hand covering her mouth and the other resting on her stomach.

Bucky is just joking around, gesturing with his arms and almost hitting Steve in the process. His hair is glued to his face, his cheeks red and eyes ever so blue with happiness. Steve is reminded of how he sounds and how he looks in person. He sounds so much more _alive_ and so much happier and so much more _real_. He looks so beautiful and Steve feels his heart speed up a little.

He startles when Sharon kicks him under the table and when she gives him a look he realizes, he had been staring at Bucky this whole time. He blushes and locks eyes with his food, doesn’t dare to look at Bucky the rest of the day.

*

Steve wonders how time passes so fast but Monday rolls around and Bucky leaves back to school. Steve pretends that the piece of his heart that had been returned to him doesn’t leave with Bucky.

Sharon and Sam come to have dinner with him and they sit on the couch eating Indian food, making idle chatter. They talk about classes and their respective jobs, they even end up scheduling a trip to the movies for next week. Everything is fine up until Sharon has had it.

“Okay, I’m done. I’m gonna address the elephant in the room.”

“Oh, here we go,” Sam whispers in to his container of rice.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re in love with your fucking best friend, Steve!”

Steve doesn’t feel attacked or angry that she brought it up. He’s just tired and resigned and he doesn’t have it in him to deny it to her, and to himself anymore. He just stays silent, interiorizing that option two is a very real thing and that maybe he always knew that it was real.

“Sharon, leave him alone.”

Sharon opens her mouth, ready to say something else, but she shuts up and just leans her head on Steve’s shoulder.

*

“Can someone, please, explain me what is on DumDum’s face?”

Steve splutters in to his drink and leans against Gabe’s shoulder to hide his laughter. Across the table from him Jim and Falsworth have their hands over their mouths, their shoulders shaking with laughter, Peggy next to them shaking her head in fondness.

“Hell of a way to make an entrance, Barnes,” She says standing up to hug him.

“Missed you too, Pegs. But I meant it, what is on his face?” Bucky asks looking at them over her shoulder.

They all turn to look at DumDum who is currently dancing around with his wife, bright smile on his lips.

“Looks like he skinned Sully from Monsters Inc., dyed the fur and glued it on his face,” Says Jim, Falsworth topples over the table in a fit of giggles.

“Those are some hairy caterpillars,” Gabe chimes in taking a sip of his drink.

“You are all so mean,” Peggy says fondly, looking over at her boys as they laugh. “Leave his mustache alone, there are plenty others things to laugh about. I mean, we are at our high school reunion for goodness sake.”

It only makes them laugh more and that’s when Steve realizes they might be a bit tipsy already. He watches as Bucky makes his way around the table hugging everyone and waving in DumDum’s direction, then he’s by his side with open arms and waiting for Steve to stand up so they can hug.

“Jesus, you’re a little drunk aren’t you, baby?” Bucky asks when they collide in to a hug.

“Just a tiny bit.”

“I would like to both thank and kick the ass of the person who got in to drinking.” He chuckles in Steve’s ear and Steve can’t help but nuzzle in to his neck.

He hadn’t seen Bucky in a while since Steve had settled in New York doing mostly freelance things and Bucky had found his place in California. It was just like college all over again, rarely meeting in person and always through a screen. It hadn’t really done wonders for Steve’s option two issue, you’d think it would fix it. Steve thought so too.

It didn’t.

*

The night goes by in fits of laughter, shared drinks and memories and in dancing.

Steve finds himself speaking with Jonathan Kingston, who is now married with twins on the way. Jonathan works as a teacher now and he mentions how his school needs a new history teacher when Steve touches briefly on his minor. Steve had never considered teaching but it wouldn’t hurt to go for an interview so he kindly accepts Jonathan’s help.

He nearly spills his drink all over himself when Bucky comes up behind him and drapes his arm across his shoulders. “Damn, I forgot what it was like to dance with Megan Oliver.” He brushes his hair out of his face and then loosens up his tie.

Steve snorts. “You think it’s a good idea to dance with the girl who had a crush on you throughout the entirety of high school? You don’t wanna awake any old feelings.”

Bucky shrugs looking at him. “It’s harmless. She brought her husband and he found the whole thing funny as hell.” He turns to Jonathan then and offers him a smile and his hand for a shake. “Hey, Jon. Been a long time, man!”

“Fifteen years, man!” Jonathan exclaims shaking his hand. “How are you?”

“I’m good. And you? I see that ring on your finger.”

Jonathan laughs. “Yeah. Got me a beautiful wife and two beautiful babies on the way.”

“That’s awesome. Congratulations.”

“Thanks, man. Steve was telling me you live in California. Isn’t that a strain on your relationship since Steve is still in New York?”

The smile on Steve’s face drops instantly and his hand squeezes around the champagne glass. “What do you mean?”

Jonathan seems confused for a moment, his eyes searching for their hands, searching for matching rings. “Oh. I just thought…You guys aren’t together?” Steve shakes his head, his heart in his throat. “Shit. I figured you guys would be married by now. Billy Hastings had a damn pole going on for the entirety of high school and these fifteen years. Pretty much everyone in this room has money ridding on that thing.”

Steve lifts his glass and downs the rest of his champagne, he chokes when he hears Bucky say: “Ah, hell. You know, I figured Stevie would have asked me by now but he hasn’t. Sorry to disappoint.”

“Can I talk to you?” He asks angrily, pushing the glass in to Jonathan’s hands and grabbing Bucky by the bicep.

He doesn’t give him a chance to answer before dragging him out of the school gym, ignoring their friends calling out to them. They stand outside in the parking lot, Bucky standing by the door with his hands in his pockets and Steve pacing in front of him with his hands in his hair.

“What the fuck was that?” He manages to ask. His heart is still in his throat, his stomach is in knots and his hands can’t stop shaking.

“What do you mean what was that? This is what we’ve always done, Stevie. We joke about this and play along with everybody else and I pretend it’s not really like that when it makes me feel like death every time I catch myself thinking how I wished it was.”

Steve feels like he can’t breathe now, his vision is blurry and he doesn’t know if it’s tears or if he’s about to pass out. “What…What do you mean?”

Bucky has the audacity to roll his eyes. “Jesus Christ, you’re dense when you want to be. I like you, Stevie. I always have. But I know you don’t and I’m fine with it so untwist your panties and let’s go back inside.” He runs a hand through his hair and adjusts his tie, then he turns on his heels intending to leave.

Steve feels like the world will end the moment Bucky walks back inside. If Bucky walks back inside without Steve speaking, without Steve doing anything, things will never be the same and he can’t imagine a world where he doesn’t have Bucky Barnes.

Bucky has his hand on the doorknob and he’s already pulling it open, Steve takes two long strides and pushes it closed. He feels Bucky tense up, his hand dropping from the doorknob and his face turning so he can look at Steve over his shoulder. His hair is in the way and Steve wants to desperately see his face. Gently he wraps both his hands around Bucky’s waist, turning him so they can be face to face but his damn hair is still in the way.

“You know I curse the day you decided to grow your damn hair,” He says taking a handful of the dark strands and pushing it away from Bucky’s face, holding it in place. “I can never see you properly, it drives me crazy. It drives me even crazier when you run your hands through it.”

“Steve-”

Steve shakes his head raising his other hand to rest it against Bucky’s cheek, his thumb touching Bucky’s bottom lip. He finally leans in half of the way, giving Bucky a chance to push him away if he wants to, daring him to lean in the rest of the way. And Bucky leans.

It’s gentle and chaste, like it should have been years ago. Bucky’s hands are at his waist and under his suit jacket, fisting his shirt in a desperate attempt to get it away so he can touch skin. His hands are cold when they touch him, Steve jumps slightly what makes him push Bucky against the wall. Steve has his hands around Bucky’s face, holding him like he’s the most precious thing Steve has ever touched in his life. He is.

Their foreheads are touching when they split up, their noses smooched together and their cheeks match in shades of red.

“Stevie…Fuck, baby…”

Steve shakes his head pressing a peck against Bucky’s lips. “Sweetheart. I like that one better.”

It makes Bucky grin. “Sweetheart.” Steve nods as he leans in for another peck. “Sweetheart.” Another. “God, sweetheart.”

They’re not pecking anymore and this kiss isn’t gentle anymore. It’s hungry and desperate, full of all the years of frustration and desire, and Steve, for the life of him, can’t even think about how he could’ve been having this for years if they had just talked.

*

Bucky hits his head on the ceiling of the car and it turns his moans in to a groan of pain.

It only makes Steve laugh as he hides his face in Bucky’s neck.

“Fuck me.”

“Isn’t that what I’m doing?” He asks defiantly, daring to bite down against the skin of Bucky’s neck as resumes the movement of his hips.

“I don’t know, I’m having a hard time feeling anything inside me if I’m being honest.”

Steve rolls his eyes grabbing him by the hair and pushing his face forward, their foreheads together again. “Christ, do you ever shut up?”

“No. It’s part of my charm.”

Steve rolls his eyes again before leaning in for a kiss, his arms wrapped around Bucky’s waist right where his shirt is pooling because they couldn’t be bored to undo all the buttons.

Steve’s car is rocking, the windows are all foggy and he is fully aware of how loud they are being. Anyone walking outside could see them and instantly know what they were doing. Steve didn’t care one bit, he knew Bucky didn’t care either.

“Steve. Fuck. Steve.”

“I’m here. I’m right here,” Steve says holding him closer, kissing everywhere he can reach. “I’m right here with you.”

Bucky’s nails dig in to his shoulder and on the back of his neck, his lips part around a silent moan when he comes. He’s lips are so red and so close that Steve can’t help but kiss him, he doesn’t let go until he comes too, pulling them apart with a blissful sigh.

“Sweetheart,” Bucky calls out.

“Hm?” Steve can’t move, doesn’t want to move so he just leans his head back against the seat.

“Sweetheart, come on,” Bucky asks gently leaning down to drop lazy open mouthed kisses against Steve’s throat. “Take me home.”

“Home?” He sounds drunk to his own ears.

“Yeah.” Bucky cradles his cheeks so he can make Steve look at him. They grin at each other but then Bucky’s grin turns in to one of his wicked smirks as he says: “It’s my turn.”

Steve hits his knee on the back of the passenger seat in his haste and the pain shoots up his leg but Bucky is laughing so Steve doesn’t really feel too bad.

*

He wakes up to the sound of his phone crashing on to the floor. He groans as he reaches out of bed, his eyes still closed, trying to guide his hand to his phone by touch and by the sound of it vibrating on the floor.

He presses answer when he finally touches it and sits up pressing it against his ear. “Hello?”

“Jesus Christ, you sound fucked out.”

“Peggy?” He asks sleepily then he pulls the phone away from his ear so he can look at the screen.

“Had a nice night, Rogers?” She’s smirking, he hears it in her voice.

“What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing. Just wanted to congratulate you two on the sex. It was about bloody time, Steven. Madison Trevor owes me seventy dollars from Billy Hastings pole, everyone knows you did it in the parking lot and it’s all over Facebook.”

Steve feels his cheeks heat up, then it spreads to his entire face, then to his neck. “Oh, my God. Are there pictures or videos? Peggy, please tell me no one actually saw it.” By his side Bucky stirs and Steve blindly reaches out to touch him so he can soothe back to sleep.

She laughs. “Relax. Billy Hastings himself went outside to have a smoke, as you do, and saw the car rocking. He proceeded to run back inside and tell everyone. Gabe and Falsworth wouldn’t let anyone go outside to see for themselves. DumDum threatened body harm to anyone who dared to try and go bother you two and Jim just sat there throwing evil looks at everyone he heard speaking about you while he emailed Dernier about the news.”

Steve sighs in relief, the blush going as he feels Bucky envelop his hand with his own. Then he realizes. “Wait. But wasn’t Billy’s pole about us being married?”

“He had two going on. One for the wedding and another for you guys getting it on at the reunion. You made a lot of people a little richer last night, Steve, me included so thank you.”

“You’re welcome, I guess?”

She doesn’t say anything for a little while, then she asks: “Are you happy, Steve? Did he tell you he loves you? Did you tell him?”

Steve smiles. “Yes, to all of those questions.”

“Good. I want to be maid of honor at your wedding.”

Steve rolls his eyes fondly. “Bye, Peggy.”

“Bye. I’m about to call Madison Trevor to demand my money, if she thinks she can ignore it until I forget about it she is very mistaken.”

“Just don’t kill anyone.”

“I make no promises. Say hi to him for me.”

“I will. Bye.”

“Bye.”

When she hangs up Steve looks at his phone screen, he has a lot of messages to go through but he chooses to only open Dernier’s.

“ _Merde! I DON’T GO TO THE REUNION BECAUSE OF MY GRANDMOTHER’S BIRTHDAY AND THIS HAPPENS?! COULDN’T YOU HAVE KEPT IT IN YOUR PANTS?! I’m happy for you two though, and mostly happy for myself because Peter Lester owes me money now.”_

He simply answers back: “ _You’re welcome? And you and Peggy are traitors. The rest of the guys better not have gotten in on this or I’m never speaking to any of you again.”_

He throws his phone on the nightstand and lays back down, Bucky instantly scoots closer and throws his arm over Steve’s stomach, his lips pressing against his shoulder and his eyes never open.

“Hey.”

“Hey. Our little sexescapade is all over Facebook and Peggy and Dernier are richer because of it.”

Bucky hums pressing a kiss against Steve’s skin. “Half of that money is ours, sweetheart.”

Steve laughs. “Go back to sleep.”

Bucky nods, a soft sigh leaving his lips. “I love you, Steve. My mom says we shouldn’t say it unless we really mean it, I mean it now.”

“Me too, Buck.”

 


End file.
